Many years ago there was a magazine that was founded on all things music. They have since decided to go the way of other supermarket tabloids but back in their heyday they had produced a list of the 100 Greatest Guitarists. Half of the list was comprised of great GUITARISTS and the other half had great vocalists and songwriters that also played guitar. It was weighted too heavily on the popularity of the artist as opposed to their actual guitar playing ability. The bottom line is that GUITARISTS like JOHN 5 and JOE BONAMASSA weren’t (and still aren’t) on it! Of Joe’s fifteen solo albums, eleven have reached #1 and even though he’s a tremendous vocalist, his ability as a GUITARIST is second to none. He’s not just a Blues / Rock guitarist. He has the unique ability to shift genre faster than most can hit a foot switch.
There were six tour buses that rolled into town that were necessary to accommodate the Three Kings Tour. Even though I’m a fan of all of the Kings, (B.B., Freddie and Albert) it was a bit disappointing not to hear some of Joe’s recent and original material. However, paying homage to Blues Legends is part of what makes Joe Bonamassa one of the most respected artists in the business today and keeps him grounded. Joe had actually opened for B.B. King when he was only twelve years old and has played with other luminaries including Eric Clapton, Stephen Stills, Buddy Guy, Steve Winwood, Warren Haynes, Jethro Tull, Rory Gallagher, Greg Allman and Derek Trucks. Joe was the driving force behind Black Country Communion (unfortunately only releasing three albums) and has his signature all over his newest venture, Rock Candy Funk Party of who Joe states “It was still one of my most fun musical experiences to date”. In order to influence the direction and history of music he runs a nonprofit organization called “Keeping The Blues Alive Foundation.” The foundation provides educational resources to schools in need.
The extremely polished set of musicians assembled for the Three Kings Tour included:
Reese Wynans – Keyboards
Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2015 as a member of Stevie Ray Vaughan & Double Trouble
Anton Fig – Drums
“The Thunder from Down Under” Played for the CBS Orchestra, (David Letterman’s House Band) Kiss, Ace Freheley & Freheley’s Comet
Lee Thornburg – Horns
Chicago, Supertramp & Tower of Power. He has toured with Tom Petty, Aaron Neville, Ray Charles, Bonnie Raitt, Huey Lewis, Dwight Yoakam and Clint Black
Kirk Fletcher – Guitar
The Fabulous Thunderbirds. Four-time Blues Music Award. Widely considered one of the best blues guitarists in the world
Michael Rhodes – Bass Guitar
Wynonna Judd, Dixie Chicks, Reba McEntire, Tanya Tucker, Dolly Parton, Randy Travis and Faith Hill among others
So, how good was the show? I guess it could be best summed up by one of his fans that had suffered a heart attack about three quarters into the performance. As I stood there watching the paramedics treat him, all I could hear him say is that he needed to get back in there to hear the rest of the show. Nuff said!